Final Fantasy XIV
News, coverage and analysis tracking Final Fantasy XIV across the outlets.
Blizzard knows World of Warcraft's removal of raid add-ons is "controversial," but the MMO's lead says its new UI "has been successful so far"Blizzard Entertainment director Ion Hazzikostas acknowledges the controversy surrounding the removal of combat add-ons in World of Warcraft with the Midnight expansion, but states the new UI has been successful. He believes the changes promote a more approachable experience and a level playing field, with most players still completing content without external tools.- Wisdom of Nym: So what will Final Fantasy XIV’s cosmetic ability overlays be like?This article speculates on the upcoming cosmetic ability overlays for Final Fantasy XIV's 'Evercold' expansion. While the initial advertisement showed a Dragoon's old animation, the author argues this is unlikely to be the primary implementation. Instead, they propose a system similar to Summoner's job mechanics, where a few core abilities or 'suites' are customized, offering a more viable and exciting approach to cosmetic rewards.
- MMO Week in Review: EverQuest risingThis week's MMO news roundup highlights the resurgence of the EverQuest franchise with EverQuest Legends entering paid beta and expansions teased for EverQuest and EverQuest II. Other major stories include the implosion of DreamWorld, potential layoffs at Blizzard and Bethesda, and Sony's shutdown of PS3 and PS Vita storefronts. The article also covers updates and news from various other MMOs like Elder Scrolls Online, Conan Exiles, and Valheim.
- One Shots: Now powered by molerats!This week's 'One Shots' feature highlights community screenshots from various MMOs, including Fallout 76, Elite Dangerous, Final Fantasy XIV, The Secret World, and Guild Wars 2. Players shared unique in-game moments, from radioactive power generators to alien flora and fantastical mounts.
PlayStation goes all-digital, lessons learned for Square Enix, and what happens when fantasy projects collide with the…Sony PlayStation will discontinue physical game disc production for new games starting January 2028, coinciding with the closure of the PlayStation Store on PS3 and Vita. Meanwhile, Cyberpunk 2077 has surpassed 40 million players, and CD Projekt Red is consolidating its brand. IO Interactive's fantasy RPG Project Fantasy faces uncertainty as Xbox funding has been pulled.- WRUP: Tips to make your fireworks incredibly unsafe editionThis week's "What Are You Playing" roundup features community members discussing their weekend gaming plans. Titles mentioned include Farever, The Division 2, Final Fantasy XIV, Doom: Infinite, Octopath Traveler II, Spyro the Dragon, Overwatch, Stronghold 4, and Warframe. The discussion also touches on outdoor grilling preferences.
Another Final Fantasy 14 mod goes down following concerns of stalking in the MMO, with fans calling out Square…A controversial Final Fantasy 14 mod called 'Memoria,' which tracked player data and enabled in-game stalking, has been taken down. The mod raised significant privacy concerns within the community, leading to calls for Square Enix to address the proliferation of such third-party tools. The developer claims all collected data has been deleted.- Vague Patch Notes: The struggle of expansions against MMO identityThis analysis explores the challenges and identity shifts inherent in MMO expansions, using examples like Final Fantasy XIV and World of Warcraft. Expansions that introduce new areas can either seamlessly integrate or create a jarring tonal clash, impacting the game's overall feel and player perception.
Clair Obscur is flawed on purpose, says director: 'Games that try to be perfect, that try to fix all their flaws—they're usually just really boring'Guillaume Broche, creative director for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, believes that games with intentional imperfections are more endearing and less boring than those striving for unattainable perfection. He argues that flaws contribute to a game's personality, much like they do in people, and that embracing 'jank' can be a source of fun and character.
SQUARE ENIX ANNOUNCES EIGHT NEW MANGA AND TWO NEW BOOK RELEASES SLATED FOR SPRING 2027Square Enix announced eight new manga titles and two new game tie-in books for English publication in Spring 2027. The upcoming releases include "Not Quite Love," "FINAL FANTASY XIV Picture Book: Me and the Cornservant," and "FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH: Dear Destiny." Voice actors Briana White and Britt Baron revealed the release date for the latter novel during Anime Expo.
July is a little light on the big new game releases, but your co-op horror Discord gang will be feastin'July 2026 will see a lighter release schedule for major new games, with a focus on co-op horror titles and notable remakes like Assassin's Creed Black Flag: Resynced and Halo: Campaign Evolved. The month also includes updates for existing titles such as Palworld, Final Fantasy 14, and Doom: The Dark Ages, alongside various Steam sales and events.
Final Fantasy 14 devs pulled off the best relaunch "in the history of video games," Clair Obscur: Expedition…Guillaume Broche, lead developer for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, praised Final Fantasy XIV's relaunch as "the best thing in the history of video games." He highlighted Square Enix's successful turnaround of the MMORPG after its disastrous initial launch, culminating in the dramatic in-game cutscene depicting the world's end before the release of A Realm Reborn.- Perfect Ten: The 10 worst problems in the MMORPG community that we could probably fixThis opinion piece identifies ten fixable problems within the MMORPG community, ranging from nostalgic revisionism about past game experiences to issues with player entitlement and antisocial behavior. It argues for greater honesty, acceptance of change, and a focus on constructive community engagement to improve the overall player experience.
'I cannot do my job when Microsoft refuses to do theirs', say Xbox union workers as destructive reset looms from a company that spent over $80 billion on AI last yearUnionized workers at Microsoft and its subsidiaries are speaking out against the company's pattern of layoffs and studio closures, despite significant investments in AI and high executive pay. Employees express frustration over job insecurity, feeling expendable despite hard work and successful projects. They argue that Microsoft has the financial resources to protect its workforce, citing billions invested in AI and recent console price increases, and are demanding better treatment and transparency.- One Shots: Mainlining malaria | Massively OverpoweredThis week's 'One Shots' feature highlights community screenshots from various MMOs, including Guild Wars 2, Elite Dangerous, World of Warcraft, and Final Fantasy XIV. Players shared their favorite in-game moments and visually striking environments, with a call for more submissions.
- MMO Week in Review: Guild Wars goes mobile, Bungie gets layoffsThis week's MMO news includes Guild Wars launching on mobile, Star Trek Online's new update, and Throne & Liberty's summer expansion. However, the industry also saw significant layoffs at Sony and Bungie, impacting hundreds of developers working on Destiny 2 and Marathon. Other news includes Valve's Steam Machine pricing, the ongoing Ashes of Creation lawsuit, and updates on Grand Theft Auto VI's online multiplayer.
- Final Fantasy XIV says Dawntrail’s Arcadion raids will be ‘a firm guideline’ for fights in EvercoldFinal Fantasy XIV assistant director Tsuyoshi Yokozawa stated that the Arcadion raid series from Dawntrail will serve as a guideline for future battle content, including upcoming fights in Evercold. The team aims to create unique, engaging boss mechanics with a focus on novelty and player connection, while still incorporating challenging wipe mechanics.
- Wisdom of Nym: Why do so many of Final Fantasy XIV’s base jobs struggle with identity?This article discusses how many of Final Fantasy XIV's original jobs, such as Monk, Dragoon, Bard, and Summoner, have undergone significant revisions over time, leading to a struggle with maintaining a consistent identity. Unlike newer jobs like Red Mage and Samurai, these older jobs have been fundamentally redesigned multiple times by the same development team, prompting questions about the evolving design philosophy for core MMORPG roles.
- Square Enix’s newly opened LA theme cafe offers up stylish food in a grim-looking atmosphereSquare Enix has opened a new themed cafe in Los Angeles, California, featuring food and merchandise inspired by Dragon Quest, NieR: Automata, and Final Fantasy. While the menu items reference games like Final Fantasy XIV, the cafe's decor is described as grim and lacking in color, drawing comparisons to a prison mess hall.
- Choose My Adventure: Steamrolling low-level bosses and storming roulettes in Final Fantasy XIVThe author discusses regaining confidence in Final Fantasy XIV by completing challenging "Extreme" boss fights unsynced, which helped overcome a feeling of apathy and self-doubt. This personal progress has also led to a decision to try Destiny 2, with readers being polled on whether to start anew or continue with an existing character.